The meeting has created divisions among the Aboriginal community. Some chiefs are boycotting the meeting Friday because Governor General David Johnston, a representative of Queen Elizabeth II, is not attending. They argue his presence is imperative because the talks center on treaty rights first established by the Royal Proclamation of 1793.

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Among those boycotting is Chief Theresa Spence, who launched a hunger strike a month ago to demand the summit.

The meeting comes almost two months after Aboriginal rights protests erupted against a bill that changes environmental oversight in favor of natural resource extraction. Protesters say the bill threatens treaty rights.